Category Archives: Bill Murray

Quite simply put Wes Anderson is one of the most influential filmmakers of modern times, an auteur with enough raw imagination and vision to create unique tapestries of film. The price of uncompromising power over every detail to be executed immaculately? a reputation.

A recent article from The Daily Beast tells of how the cast of the upcoming The Grand Budapest Hotel felt working with the director on his latest feature, some of whom actors who have previously worked along side Anderson.

In the interview Willem Dafoe had this to say:

- “He’s so specific in what he sees and what he wants that you better give it to him, he’s tough.”

Jeff Goldblum adds:

- “I’ve gone to other movies and the director will go, ‘Oh maybe you are wearing this,’ and I’ll go ‘That’s a good idea but how about this? What if I have a hat or a thing?’ With him you don’t do that. You go: ‘What do I get to do in this?’ And he goes: ‘Here’s the thing, here’s the thing, here’s the thing.’ And you go, ok, so, that’s what you sign-up for too. And his ideas are so good. And his taste is so good that you go: ‘Oh, yes please.’”

Long time supporter and key go-to actor Bill Murray also commented on Wes’ filmmaking habits on set of The Grand Budapest Hotel in an article for Collider.

Murray:

- There wasn’t a whole hell of a lot that we shot that was wrong, because I mean, if you read the script, it’s pretty spare, you know? It’s pretty clean. The storytelling—he spends a lot of time and he’s obviously very specific about how he wants things to look and sound. So there’s not a lot of overage. He’s got a lot of tricky camera moves, so you shoot a lot of goofy takes, where the camera isn’t absolutely perfect, so you do it again. So that’s the only time—that’s the overage. That’s the extra time, is he takes a lot of time to get it perfect.

This isn’t the first time that actors working with Wes Anderson have expressed how meticulous and precious he is about everything from the script to the set dressing, every one of which having unquestionable faith in Anderson’s direction knowing that Wes knows exactly what he wants and what the result will be. As established as it is that Wes is a ‘hardass’ when it comes to directing, actors still jump at the chance to work with the masterful director, and audiences continue to relish their time spent in his worlds – The Grand Budapest Hotel opens March 7th.

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Bill Murray and Olivia Williams (Rushmore) reunite as Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt in Hyde Park on Hudson. Don’t tell Dirk. The Rushmore Academy is giving away a $25 American Express Gift Card for a night at the movies, courtesy of Focus Features. To enter, comment on this post, the relevant Facebook post, or @rushmoreacademy andtell us which two Wes Anderson characters you would most like to see reunited in a historical drama. Who would they play?

Details: Entries must be received by Friday, 7 December 2012 at 11:59 pm ET. You must reside in the United States to enter. Winner will be chosen randomly from entries.

Color us excited, frequent Wes collaborator Roman Coppola (co-writer of The Darjeeling Limited and Moonrise Kingdom) is back with his second directorial effort A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, coming more than a decade after his wonderful film CQ. The film stars Charlie Sheen in the title role, as a graphic designer with girl trouble. We’re most excited though by Coppola cousin Jason Schwartzman and American hero Bill Murray, who appear to play Swan’s best friend and father figure, respectively. The film comes out in the US on February 8th. We’ll be first in line.

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With all of the casting confusion the internet is producing, we’re happy to set the record straight and report that both Variety and the Hollywood Reporter (THR) have confirmed Ralph Fiennes is in negotiations for Wes Anderon’s The Grand Budapest Hotel. He’s set to play a character named M. Gustave, who serves as the hotel’s perfectly composed concierge. This role was originally reported to be filled by Johnny Depp, but Wes Anderson denied this two months ago. But Anderson’s frequent cronies Bill Murray, Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman are in the cast. Couldn’t imagine an Anderson without them. Fiennes recent projects have been acting alongside Daniel Craig in 007: Skyfalland portraying Charles Dickens in The Invisible Woman.

Also, THR has noted that Murder She Wrote‘s Angela Lansbury is no longer involved with the movie due to commitments to a stage version of the Academy-award winning film Driving Miss Daisy (also a Pulitzer Prize winning play). Lansbury has been performing on stage every year for the past six years. Lansbury will be playing alongside James Earl Jones and will open next year at Her Majesty’s Theater. Tickets will be on sale October 22nd.

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Friends, Romans, Countrymen– welcome back into the fold. As you have surely noticed, yes, things are slowing down- down, but not out. There is more to come and much to look forward to: the ever expanding release of Moonrise, award season, more information about Movie #8, films by related artists, and new features (!) on the site. But for now, let’s get to it.

Got a hankering for Tenebaums-inspired paper crafts? Look no further than A Pazitive View. She created an impressive centerpiece for her graduation party.

Wes wedding items seems to be a trend in the Friday Round-Up and this week is no different. Matt and Jackie’s WA-inspired Save the Date is spot on and is just about perfect– funny, charming, and sweet.

Vanity Fair interviewed Wes recently and while they covered a lot of familiar ground, there were a few great tidbits about living with Bill and Jason and his appreciation for detail.

The love from The New Yorker just doesn’t end. Richard Brody penned an excellent blog post regarding how MR fits into Wes’s oeuvre. Key line:

Moonrise Kingdom is not a drastic departure from Anderson’s first six features but rather an intensification of their characteristics, or even just their more explicit revelation.

KidzWorld interviewed to Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman regarding their experiences on the film and acting tips they learned along the way. (As the site title might betray, it’s geared toward a young audience.)

Finally, watch Bill Murray’s entire, kinda touching speech at the South Atlantic League Hall of Fame, where he was being inducted as co-owner and “Director of Fun” for the Charleston RiverDogs. Also take a look at this shorter package about Bill and the team. (Love that he’s still rocking the Bishop coat.)

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We’re a little late to post this one, but don’t let its 6-day age turn you off. Jason Schwartzman, interviewed by Jada Yuan for New York Magazine, is at his best. He talks about his childhood experiences, working with Bill Murray, and his friendship with Wes:

So, when Wes calls, do you just drop everything you’re doing to be in his movies? Do you have a say in what you play?

First of all, let me say this: This is one of my best friends in the whole world and I am very, very lucky for that. There are very few people I could say that are my close people that I really, really care about. And I would say that there are an even smaller amount of them that I could say I actually work with, too. And it’s just very lucky. I met Wes on Rushmore. We made a movie together. We stayed in touch through the years. And then this weird thing happens to you personally and you talk about it and then you keep talking, and then all of a sudden it’s twelve years older and you’re like, “Wow, this is my best friend.”

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Do you like Bill Murray interviews? Of course you do. You’re reading this site, aren’t you?

Well, it’s your lucky day. Bill Murray has a new interview with Esquire which is classic Bill Murray. And because this is a Wes Anderson appreciation site, here is the obligatory WA reference:

SR: The last time we talked about Wes Anderson was after what sounded like a horrible experience in Italy for The Life Aquatic. You must have a great affinity for him.

BM: Wes is still a young man, but he was just a kid when I met him on Rushmore. And he’s grown as a person, as a man, as a movie director. His stuff just keeps getting better and better. And he’s managed to make the making of movies a real living experience. For Moonrise Kingdom, he rented a mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, and we lived in it. The editing rooms were in the mansion. And we had a great cook. You could be relaxed in your own skin, but it also meant that you could work endless, ungodly art-movie hours because there was gonna be a meal prepared for you when you’re done.

What’s that? You’re not satisfied with only one interview? Well, good news for you– Unlikely Words has rounded up about 20 Bill Murray interviews for your enjoyment. Hope you didn’t have plans for this afternoon.

The Guardian has a nice interview with Wes regarding his style, his critical reception, working with children, and his frequent collaborators. Regarding the last, he says:

“I don’t think any of us are considered ‘normal’ people,” he says. “It’s probably more a family of crazy uncles. But there’s an energy that comes from people who are friends. Whatever chemistry is on set is going to be there in the movie, and you want some electricity that you don’t really control.”